A sensational summer dance party featuring new live interpretations of disco, funk, soul and house classics. On the day before New York’s famous Pride Festival, CLUB CLASSICS LIVE! assembles powerhouse performers to recreate the magic of legendary NYC dance clubs like Studio 54 and the Paradise Garage. Expect to dance your behind off to live renditions of songs associated with iconic DJs like Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles, and iconic record labels like West End, Salsoul and Casablanca. Curated and directed by Jason King, producer/scholar and host of NPR’s R&B/soul streaming radio channel, CLUB CLASSICS LIVE! gathers an impressive array of headliners, including pop sensation Sam Sparro, house legends Ultra Nate and Kevin Aviance, and the ladies from the original line-ups of Chic (Norma Jean Wright, Alfa Anderson, and Luci Martin). Acclaimed dance music ‘supergroup’ Company Freak supplies the music as house band, along with invited guests. DJ Andre Collins spins the opening set. CLUB CLASSICS LIVE! is a once-in-a-lifetime party that should not be missed.
Part soul crooner, part pop star with an ever-morphing, chameleon-like quality, Sam Sparro coasts a fine line between disarmingly earnest and chic, credible cool. He has become known not only for his distinct, scale-defying vocals and epic live shows, but also as a visual artist and style icon. In 2008 he hit the mark with his career changing single Black & Gold which received critical acclaim and shot to No.2 in the UK, No.4 in Australia and top 20 in 14 countries. Sam’s sophomore release, Return to Paradise was a play on nostalgia and “paradise garage” – a genre derived from the discotheque scene in New York in the late 70s, famous for its unique and eclectic style of disco and dance music. In 2013 Sparro released Quantum Physical: Volume One, which finds Sam digging into both his 1990’s and current 12” Vinyl collection for sonic stimulus, while lyrically addressing issues we’re seeing in our day to day lives all over the world. He’s toured with the likes of Adele and Robyn, and headlined his own tour playing festivals around the world including Glastonbury and Coachella.
Ultra Naté has remained a musical chameleon, embracing a variety of sounds, from R&B/hip-hop, soul and disco to house, rock and electro-pop 25 years after sashaying onto international dance floors. In 1998 Ultra released the anthem “Free” which became an international platinum selling single and has become a dance classic. Shortly after in 1999 her smash rework of “If You Could Read My Mind” with Jocelyn Enriquez & Amber saw Ultra in the Studio 54 soundtrack and followed the crossover success. In 2013 Ultra released her eighth studio album “Hero Worship” featuring collaborations with a list of who’s who in dance music – showing she’s always had her finger on the pulse. A humble, hardworking legend, today Ultra continues to record tirelessly and evolve as an artist who is also songwriter, producer, DJ, label owner, club promoter and live performer – a highly sought-after darling of the international dance scene.
Legendary drag icon Kevin Aviance, who’s a member of the House of Aviance, became an underground sensation in the late-’90s gay dance scene, releasing # 1 Billboard dance hits and taking his drag show on the road. Inspired largely by Grace Jones, though also citing Boy George as an influence, Aviance made a name for himself primarily in New York’s thriving gay scene, affiliating himself with other dance icons like Junior Vasquez, Tony Moran, Victor Calderone and the late Peter Rauhofer. It wasn’t long before novelty tracks like an aggressive update of “Din Da Da,” the S&M-tinged “Rhythm Is My Bitch” and “Alive” which become popular club anthems that allowed him to perform throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Style, sophistication, and soul. That’s what Alfa Anderson, Luci Martin, and Norma Jean Wright brought to CHIC as the group’s original lead vocalists. Alongside producers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, and drummer Tony Thompson, these legendary ladies made CHIC synonymous with infectious hooks and timeless grooves. They collected a wall of gold and platinum albums, fueling the charts with hits that dominated clubs and airwaves across the globe. To the delight of their dedicated fans, Alfa, Luci, and Norma Jean have reunited as Anderson, Martin & Wright to celebrate a legacy that encompasses some of the most groundbreaking music ever recorded. With new music in the works, Alfa, Luci, and Norma Jean are ready to deliver their classy, high-energy, roof-raising show to audiences all around the world. For these Former Ladies of CHIC, the good times are just beginning.
International dance music super-band Company Freak is the mastermind of recognized producer-DJ-journalist Jason King: their deep-pocket, sophisticated dance pop is a throwback to 1970s and 80s orchestral disco, soul and funk when groups like Chic, Change, Kool and the Gang, Boney M, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Midnight Star ruled the airwaves. Company Freak is above all else a concept: a revolving, multi-generational loose-knit affiliation of awe-inspiring vocalists and musicians, recording soulful dance material in international cities like New York, Istanbul, Addis Ababa and Paris. Engineered and mixed by Eric Broucek and Alex Nizich (LCD Soundsystem, Hercules and Love Affair), Company Freak’s effervescent debut LP, Le Disco Social, features pyrotechnical vocalists Shayna Steele (Rihanna, NBC’s Smash), Melissa Musique (Jessie J., Chrisette Michelle), and King himself, alongside storied session musicians from bands like D-Train, Chic, and M83, plus a surprise return-to-form from cult dance music legend Vivian Reed. www.companyfreak.com
DJ Andre Collins grew up in Bronx, New York. His career spans over three decades and bears witness to the phenomenon called “House Music.” He has played and learned from the industry elites, such as Nicky Siano and Tee Scott. Andre was the resident DJ at the legendary “WAREHOUSE” and had guest spots at Better Days, The Nickel Bar, Midtown 43, The Lenox Lounge and Karma. Andre’s brand of Universal Love of House Music has been heard internationally in Japan, Europe and the Caribbean. He is known for his creative mixing of music with pulsating vibes and lyrical content. DJ Andre is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jessie Jackson, Maya Angelou and President Barack Obama and often incorporates their messages in his music. He takes his Universal Love of House Music to the radio waves, every Friday on WHCR/90.3 FM-The Voice of Harlem.